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Food Safety

Food poisoning has become quite common in the United States with 1 in 6 people getting affected by these illnesses in some form each year. While some cases of food poisoning may only involve minor stomach gurgles, others can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Food items can become contaminated with food poisoning pathogens at any point of time of cycle from the farm to your fork. They can become infected during production, handling, manufacturing, or even while the food is being prepared to be served and eaten. As it is so easy for food to become contaminated, there are certain types of food that are more prone to contamination than others. Without further ado, here are the seven foods most likely to give you food poisoning:

Chicken and Poultry

Raw chicken often carries Campylobacter with it and sometimes, Salmonella and Clostridium Perfringens. Americans eat more chicken than any other meat. So, naturally there is a much higher chance of getting food poisoning from it. Bacteria, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, etc. live inside the intestines of poultry and can spread to other parts as well while cutting or during the egg laying process.

Here are some tips to prevent food poisoning from chicken and poultry:

Do not wash raw chicken or raw meat. The juices from raw meat can contaminate kitchen surfaces, countertops, and sink.

Keep raw poultry separate from fresh foods and cooked foods.

Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after handling raw meat.

Use a separate cutting board for raw poultry.

Wash the cutting board, knife, etc. with warm soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat.

Cook the poultry to an internal temperature of 165℉.

Refrigerate the cooked chicken within 2 hours of keeping it at room temperature.

Berries

All the berries including strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries have been linked to foodborne outbreaks and have sickened thousands in a single outbreak. Long gone are the days when people would to say that food that is harvested from Earth does not needs to be washed. A 1997 Hepatitis A outbreak sickened thousands of children due to contamination in frozen strawberries that was linked to a farm worker in Mexico. There are other outbreaks and cases of E. coliand Salmonella too that have been linked to berries. These bacteria can get into the fruits and vegetables during harvesting or handling.

To prevent foodborne illnesses from outbreaks, it is crucial that you wash the berries properly before eating them. Also, keep a lookout on recalls so as to avoid any product that has higher risk of causing foodborne illness.

Grilled Foods

Grilling was once just a thing for the summertime, but now more than half of Americans say that they are grilling and cooking food outside year-round. So, cases of food poisoning due to grilling have increased over the years. The first line of prevention against food poisoning is to clean the grill. Grills, when not properly cleaned, can harbor a lot of bacteria on them. Pre-heating the grill to a high temperature is also a good idea and practice to help rid your grill of unwanted, dangerous bacteria. Another good practice is to make sure that you have everything you need before you start grilling. Keep clean water by your side, separate plates for raw and cooked meat, hot pads, etc.

FoodSafety.gov also recommends to “Keep Hot Food Hot.” Keep raw meat and poultry at 140℉and warmer once it is already grilled. To help this process, you can keep cooked meat at the side of grill rack. You can refrigerate the leftovers and use them for later if they are refrigerated within 2 hours of being left at the room temperature.

Sprouts

Sprouts can cause food poisoning diseases, such as E. coli, Salmonella, and sometimes, Bacillus Cereus. Since 1990, United States has experienced almost 40 sprout outbreaks. The problem with sprouts occurs during the germination process. Each sprout is a seed that have germ inside of them. This germ and seed can get contaminated with the dormant bacteria which only grows during the germination process of the sprouts. This makes raw sprouts so prone to cause food poisoning.

Here are some tips to make sprouts safe:

Buy fresh sprouts that have been properly refrigerated.

Do not buy sprouts that have bad smell and slimy appearance.

Rinse sprouts properly under running water before use.

Cooking sprouts properly can kill the bacteria very easily.

Seafood

Seafood is an important part of a nutritious diet, but mishandling it can lead to foodborne illnesses. The most common foodborne illness from seafood includes Norovirus and Vibrio. They are both quite dangerous pathogens to get infected with. Here are some tips to reduce the risk of food poisoning from seafood:

Buy fish that looks fresh and does not have any spots or smells ‘fishy’. The skin of fish should rise back when pressed. Check for the temperature of the frozen seafood before buying.

Store the seafood in the refrigerator if you plan on eating it within a day or two. Otherwise, keep it properly wrapped and in a refrigerator.

Cook all the seafood to an internal temperature of 145℉. The flesh of fish, shrimp, lobster, and scallops should look pearly and opaque. Shells of clams and oyster should open after cooking. Throw out the ones that do no open.

Refrigerate all the leftovers within 2 hours of keeping it out in the refrigerator.

Deli Meats

Deli meats, also known as lunch meats, are referred to as precooked meats that are sliced and then, served hot and cold for sandwiches and light-dining options. And it might not come as a surprise to you that Deli meats are one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Pregnant women are especially at high risk for eating these types of foods. Deli meats can often be contaminated with E. coli, Listeria, etc., making them a concern.

Meat infected with these pathogens might not look or smell bad. High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) is the most effective way to keep Deli meats safe from dangerous foodborne pathogens. You should refrigerate the meat once you unseal it and then, consume it within 3-5 days. If you purchase fresh meat, then eat it within 3 days.

Leafy Greens

Leafy Greens just like berries can get contaminated with food poisoning causing pathogens during harvesting and handling. Well, who could have imagined (or prevented!) food poisoning from baby spinach that was grown in California which was contaminated with E. colifrom wild pigs and other livestock around the field. The greens can also get contaminated due to unsafe practices during handling and processing. So, it is crucial to devote more attention to staff hygiene if you are involved in food industry.

Recently, the CDC reported a troubling outbreak linked to raw milk and Campylobacter infections. With the rise in raw milk sales, the CDC is calling for more governmental intervention in states where raw milk sales are not regulated. Despite the known dangers, many raw milk outbreaks have been kept relatively quiet. However, in the case of raw milk and Campylobacter, the CDC wanted more to be brought to light – even if over a year has passed.

A Case in Point

In August of 2016, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) got to know about 2 confirmed cases of Fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infections among people who consumed raw (unpasteurized) milk from the Hershare dairy. Even though the sale of raw milk is illegal in the state, herdshare programs where a member can purchase a share of cattle is legal and not regulated by any authorities.

Further Investigation:

Local Public Health Department of the state along with CDPHE started an investigation for the outbreak that led to identification of a total of 12 confirmed and 5 probable cases of Campylobacter jejuniinfection. When the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was conducted for the case, the available isolates were identical with the enzyme Sma. Apart from these 10 cases, there were 2 milk samples (one collected from the dairy and the other from an ill shareholder) that also tested positive for the outbreak strain.

The shocking part was when 5 of the Campylobacter jejuniisolates were sent to CDC for the antimicrobial susceptibility testing, they were found resistant to tetracycline, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin.

The shareholders were notified about the Campylobacter outbreak and were cautioned against drinking the milk if the distribution carried on. Drinking raw milk is very risky. The role of public health in implementing any control measures for a product that is well known to be unsafe is not defined.

Investigation Timeline

El Paso County Public Health Department notified the CDPHE on August 23, 2016 about the 2 culture confirmed cases of the C. jejuni infection. The illness is reportable in Colorado. Both the confirmed patients testified to drinking unpasteurized milk from the herdshare dairy located in Pueblo county. Selling raw milk is illegal but since 2005, joining herdshare programs for obtaining raw milk is legal in Colorado. By buying share of cows or goats, shareholders can get a portion of the raw milk.

Consuming unpasteurized milk is not so prevalent – 2.4% in Colorado according to 2006-2007 FoodNet Population Survey and 3.1% according to 2009 Colorado Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. 2 cases of illnesses with an exposure to raw milk is far more likely to occur by chance. During this outbreak, one person had confirmed case of diarrheal illness after consuming unpasteurized milk.

Cases of the outbreak were identified by the routine passive reporting through follow-up interviews. There was a Health Alert Broadcast to all the area providers and there were attempts to contact the shareholders. When the dairy did not provide the information of the shareholders within 5 days of the initial request, a public health order was issued to obtain the list. Each shareholder received up to three calls. Epidemiologists requested the laboratories to send the isolates from any potential cases related to outbreak to the state public health laboratory.

Of these, 12 confirmed and 5 probable cases of the Campylobacterwere identified after 91 (53%) of the 171 shareholder households responded to requests about the follow up interviews. This number represents 207 persons in 5 or more Colorado counties. Here are some further details about the illnesses:

Patients age ranged from 12-68 years. Median age being 58 years.

9 out of 12 patients were male.

Duration of the illness ranged between 3-10 days. There was 1 hospitalization but no deaths.

Apart from diarrhea, the symptoms in the patients also included fever (10), abdominal pain or cramps (8), headache (8) and myalgia (7). Vomiting and bloody diarrhea were less reported of the symptoms.

Four of the milk samples were tested for the Campylobacter jejuni. PFGE and pathogen identification were performed for all the available isolates. Two outbreak PFGE patterns namely PulseNet DBRS16.0008 using the enzyme Sma and PulseNet DBRK02.1272 and DBRK02.0028 using the enzyme Kpn were performed and they confirmed C. jejuni in 10 of the isolates that were available at the public health laboratory and out of 2 of the 4 raw milk samples. The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System also did antimicrobial susceptibility tests on the 5 representative isolates – all of them were resistant to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and nalidixic acid.

Public Health Response:

Here are some of the public health responses that were associated with the outbreak:

Notifying the shareholders about the outbreak on three separate times during late 2016. It required the dairy that is sold to provide additional written notifications about the outbreak at all the milk distribution points.

2 LPHA’s issued a press release in response to detecting at least one infection in person who was not a shareholder but was given milk by the shareholder. There were a number of shareholders who reported to have shared the milk with non-shareholders who might have been unaware of the outbreak

CDPHE did not close the dairy or barred the shareholders from distribution of the milk even after the milk sample results were positive for the C.jejuni. Without pasteurization, CDPHE cannot raise the standards for safely reopening the dairy. Shareholders were also urged to get rid of any raw milk that is distributed since August 2 and were reminded of the law that bans redistribution of raw milk in Colorado.

Concerns & Implications:

The outbreak has most certainly highlighted the difficulties in addressing the outbreak that was related to unpasteurized milk from a dairy. The authorities did temporarily took action to make sure that the milk distribution was stopped. But, CDPHE also could not make the decision about closing the dairy during the outbreak and ensure that milk would be safe in the future. There were no formal recommendation as there was nothing apart from pasteurization that could ensure raw milk safety.

There are also raised concerns about the resistance to the antibiotics which could make the treatment process difficult and last longer. According to statistics, around 25.3% of the US C.jejuniisolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, it was 21.6% a decade earlier. State-level guidelines for distribution of raw milk from herdshares might assist with the process.

Perhaps one of the simplest and greatest pleasures come from arriving home from a long, complicated, and perhaps combative day at work and pouring a long-anticipated glass of wine. On the contrary, perhaps it was a triumphant day with much to celebrate. In any event, could you imagine sipping on a favorite wine that is laced with the contaminant arsenic?

In 2015, a lengthy list of California wineries were named in a complaint that alleged that these wineries sold wine that they knew to be contaminated with unacceptable levels of inorganic arsenic. In the latest disposition of this case, a California judge has dismissed these allegations. The case is on appeal pending review of the plaintiff’s oral arguments that the label wording on these cited wines indicates caution in ingesting the products, although the warning is generic and not specific to certain contaminants.

The Affected Wines Cited in the Complaint

Eighty three wine products were cited in the original complaint as having dangerously high levels of arsenic. These wines came from 28 California wineries and were packaged under 31 brand labels, including merlot, chardonnay, burgundy, and rose.

Arsenic is a chemical element that is found in the Earth’s crust. It is typically found everywhere: in water, air and soil. Arsenic exists in two forms: organic and inorganic. Organic arsenic is found primarily in fish and shellfish. Inorganic arsenic binds with other elements and therefore is more harmful than its organic counterpart. Historically, inorganic arsenic was used in pesticides and paint pigment, but today its usage is restricted. Water sources in some parts of the US have higher naturally-occurring levels of inorganic arsenic than others, so people are more likely to be exposed to inorganic arsenic through drinking water or products that used the water to produce other kinds of beverages. We are exposed on a daily basis to both organic and inorganic arsenic, but the majority of our arsenic exposure comes from the food that we eat. Inorganic arsenic exposure occurs as a result of consuming water.

So, what are “acceptable levels” of arsenic exposure, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA set an arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL) for public water supplies at 0.010 mg/L. This is equivalent to 0.010 parts per million (ppm), 10 micrograms/liter (µg/L), or 10 parts per billion (ppb). The EPA also sets the MCL Goal (MCLG) for drinking water. The MCLG is set at a level that uses the best available science to prevent potential health problems. The EPA has set the MCLG for arsenic at zero.

How Arsenic Affects the Body

According to the FDA, unusually large doses of inorganic arsenic can cause symptoms ranging from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes dehydration and shock. Long-term exposure to high levels of inorganic arsenic in drinking water can cause skin disorders and increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and several types of cancer.

The Allegations

Approximately four years ago, an independent testing company sampled over one thousand California wines for the presence of arsenic. Approximately eighty to eight five of the wines tested positive for the presence of unacceptable levels of inorganic arsenic. Although the FDA has not set a mandated limit as to what unacceptable levels are; in part, the lawsuit states that consumers should be able to determine, through proper wine labeling, whether they should ingest the wine. In other words, specific wording should appear on the bottles or boxes that warn of unacceptable levels of certain contaminants, including arsenic: sort of a “buyer beware” admonition.

In speaking with one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, Mr. Brian Kabateck, the original complaint was filed shortly after the initial discovery of what was perceived to be unacceptable levels of inorganic arsenic in the aforementioned California wines. The complaint names three principal plaintiffs as well as others who may have been affected in the multi-action lawsuit. Further, the complaint states that defendant wineries produced their wine products with knowledge of the dangerous amounts of inorganic arsenic they contained, citing that “[in some cases] levels detected were over 500% or more than what is acceptable for daily intake. Put differently, just a glass of two of these wines a day could over time result in dangerous arsenic toxicity to the consumer.” However, the complaint was dismissed by the presiding judge, citing for the defendants that the wine labels were subject to a complicated loophole known as the “wording statute”. Essentially, it was upheld that the defendant’s claim that the existing warning on wine bottles and boxed wines were sufficient as they contain the wording “may cause other health problems.”

Many of the aforementioned wines are inexpensive and produced in an equally inexpensive fashion, lending the wines subject to expedient processing. In many instances, production is rushed, inclusive of additional additives to the wines that often contain the inorganic arsenic.

This case is currently on appeal with a judgement expected in the next several months. MakeFoodSafe will continue to monitor the progress of this case.

In recent months, a slew of animal foods, from treats to kibble, have found themselves under recall and scrutiny along with their human counterparts. Reports, even as recent as last month, have made claims of the findings of euthanasia drugs in canned dog foods. According to the most recent FDA statement on the recall:

“The FDA has informed J.M. Smucker that the firm’s action to remove products from the marketplace is now considered a recall. The FDA based this decision on a test by the firm confirming the presence of pentobarbital in the tallow ingredient used in the affected products.

The FDA is continuing its investigation and has collected finished product samples for testing that is currently pending. While the firm and FDA testing was pending, the FDA agreed to allow the firm to withdraw products from the marketplace because it was the quickest way to remove potentially adulterated product. However, now that the firm has verified that the products contain pentobarbital, an illegal substance in pet food at any amount, the firm has agreed to continue to remove product under the voluntarily recall process. The FDA will share more information as it becomes available.”

More Recalls

Since this time, yet more dog food and dog treats have been recalled, and what makes this particularly difficult is the obvious fact that our precious pets cannot advocate for the troubles that may affect them. They rely on us, their owners, to be vigilant about what they ingest and to heed any recalls associated with their food, play toys, and treats.

Recall Information

TruPet LLC, Carnivore Meat Company, and Steve’s Real Foods have recalled some varieties of dog food and dog treats due to the possibility of salmonella contamination. The Michigan Department of Agriculture prompted this recall following a collection of retail samples from batches of each product. Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported that were linked to these specific foods:

Carnivore Meat Company: Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Niblets Entrée for Dogs: Lot Number 13753. This product was distributed in the US through independent retailers as well as online retailers Chewy.com and Amazon.com. According to their website, affected consumers are encouraged to return the product to its place of purchase for a refund, and consumers with additional questions can call the company at 920-370-6542.

TruPet: TruDog Treat Me Crunchy Beef Delight: Lot Number 2019051413753. This product was distributed in the US via online retailer Chewy.com and TruDog.com. The FDA urges consumers who purchased the product to return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers may also call the company for more information at 800-476-8808.

Lot numbers and distribution areas were not readily available, so contact the vendor directly, or you can consult the FDA for pet food recall information on their website: www.fda.gov.

How Our Pets Can Become Sickened

Our canine friends can become ill in the same way that humans do: bacterial pathogens such as salmonella can infiltrate the food or treats at any point from harvesting to production to preparation. Pet food can become contaminated with a pathogen such as Salmonellabecause the food originates from animals. Typically, pet food products are cooked to temperatures that destroy bacteria; however, if an additive to the food (such as flavoring) is added to the food after the cooking process, the pet food can become contaminated with these materials.

Salmonellainfections occur after the host (either human or animal) eats, or ingests, the food. It can also occur by coming into contact with contaminated products and subsequently touching your mouth or face, allowing the bacteria access to your gastrointestinal tract and causing disease. Salmonella is one of the classifications of diseases that affect your stomach or intestines and are spread between animals and people. Enteric zoonotic diseases are caused by germs such as Salmonella, E.coli, and Campylobacter.These bacteria can cause illness in your stomach and intestines and cause symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, or stomach cramps.

So the question arises, does this mean that pet food isn’t really safe given that there seem to be more and more pet foods and treats being recalled due to pathogens such as Salmonella? There are several reasons for this, one of which is that large scale recalls increase public awareness of and sensitivity to pet food safety. Another reason is that both manufacturers and the FDA have become increasingly hyper-vigilant with regard to bacterial pathogens in human food sources. That has led to increased surveillance and reporting of foodborne illnesses. Additionally, there is the Reportable Food Registry, an early detection reporting system that permits immediate reporting of safety issues with food and animal feed, including pet food. Typically, when any pathogen such as Salmonellaor E.Coliis detected in a pet food, a voluntary recall is issued, and the pet food is considered adulterated and unfit for consumption. In fact, the vast majority of pet food recalls has been voluntary and is not an indication that pet food is unsafe. It is, rather, an indication that prevention is being effected by catching the potential problem sooner rather than later.

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection in Dogs

Lethargy

Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea

Fever

Vomiting

Decreased or loss of appetite

Abdominal pain

People can get salmonellapoisoning from handling contaminated dog food or touching the unwashed surfaces that the food touched. If your pet is infected, they can also be carriers of the infection and transmit it to other animals as well as humans. If your pet has come in contact with the above-mentioned products, call your vet immediately.

I frequently see various memes on social media proclaiming the virtues of being a baby boomer, a generational term that includes me. These memes colorfully describe what it was like “all those years ago”, when we left the house in the morning to play with our friends and weren’t seen again until dinner time, when crime wasn’t as heinous or prevalent, when lead-based paint was the norm, and when foodborne illnesses (known then as “food poisoning”) were practically unheard-of, and certainly not as publicized.

Since I’ve been writing for this website, I am endlessly fascinated by the research I conduct related to food safety practices as well as foodborne illnesses and other issues. The advances in food safety are astounding, and continue to improve in scope and purpose. What I, and perhaps many of my baby boomer contemporaries who ever experienced a bout of food poisoning attributed to “bad chicken, a bad stew, a bad piece of pie,” can now frequently be traced to a common source, and with ever-increasing specificity.

The following is a round-up of the most up-to-date scientific advances in ensuring our food safety. Due to a stroke of genetic genius, I have spared readers my scientific clumsiness and confined myself to observing and writingabout those who truly know what to do with a Petri dish, microscope, and long, polysyllabic words. I bring you a brief summation of nucleic acid extraction dipstick methodology, gentamycin protection assay, amoebae, and other.What?

And You Thought a Dipstick Was Just For Checking Your Oil

At the University of Queensland, Australia, pathogens have been detected using untreated cellulose-based paper in a process known as nucleic acid extraction dipstick methodology. In this process, DNA and RNA from living organisms can be amplified without specialized equipment. According to Professor Jimmy Botella, a food science researcher, “we have successfully used the dipsticks in remote plantations in Papua New Guinea to diagnose sick trees and have applied it to livestock, human samples, pathogens in food, and in detecting [risks] such as E.colicontaminated water.” That’s exciting news in terms of identifying potential sources of this nasty bacterium.

Campylobacter as a Trojan Horse

In another study at Kingston University of London, England, researchers discovered that Campylobactercan use another organism’s cells as a kind of Trojan horse, infiltrating tiny organisms called amoebae and generally hiding themselves from harsh environmental conditions. Diabolical cowards.

But why is this important in terms of food safety? The researchers employed what, on the surface, appears to be a sneaky procedure in which they observed how campylobacterinvades healthy host cells. It’s called gentamycin protection assay. I visualize sort of a high-tech, but extremely tiny, episode of a TV detective show. On a serious note, the research could assist in preventing the spread of this type of infection. Those amoebic hosts often exist in the same environments such as in drinking water for chickens on poultry farms. This can, and often does, increase the risk of infection.

Social Media Can Help Identify Foodborne Illness Sources

New York’s Columbia University recently partnered with the New York City Health Department in detecting foodborne illnesses and outbreaks in New York City restaurants based on keywords in Yelp reviews. In addition to calls to 311 (a non-emergency phone number that is used to find information as well as register complaints), and reports from health care providers, the NYC Health Department has used a system developed by Columbia University’s Department of Computer Science to track foodborne illnesses based upon reviews left on the popular Yelp website. Launched in 2012, this computer system tracks foodborne illnesses based upon the identification of particular keywords that appear specifically in Yelp restaurant reviews. This implementation has helped NYC health department staff identify 1,500 complaints of foodborne illness in New York City each year, for a total of over 8,500 cases since July 2012. Both Columbia University and The New York City Health Department plan to expand this to include other social media sources such as Twitter, which was added to the system in November 2016. Without this system, some individuals may not report their symptoms, and many incidents of foodborne illness might otherwise go unnoticed and/or unreported. Professors of Computer Science at Columbia University Luis Gravano and Daniel Hsu stated that “Effective information extraction regarding foodborne illness from social media is of high importance – online restaurants review sites are popular and many people are more likely to discuss food poisoning incidents in such sites [rather] than on official government channels.”

You Are What You Eat: The Implications of Blockchain Technology

With increased emphasis being placed on identifying the source(s) of foodborne pathogens and subsequent efforts to eradicate or diminish their threat, perhaps no recent technological emergence is as great as the blockchain revolution. It is revolutionary because the word itself implies great change, and blockchain technology offers transparency for consumers and brings huge advantages for individuals within the supply chain. For food producers, attempts to tamper with a food item can be immediately identified and prevented before the food reaches its destination via the blockchain. For grocery retailers, if a potentially contaminated food product appears on their shelves, the stores can identify and remove on the offending “batch” items. Frequent batch recalls can be extremely costly to retailers. And for consumers, blockchain offers the reassurance that the food that they consume is exactly what the label says it is.Additionally, the blockchain can take “the power of information” out of huge corporate food producers and place it squarely into the hands of the individual consumer. By using a simple QR code and a smartphone, consumers can scan a package at the point of sale and receive an instant and complete history of the food item’s journey from farm to table without having to differentiate true from false claims of authenticity. As for potential foodborne pathogen outbreaks, imagine having the ability to detect the source of contamination within seconds rather than days or weeks.

With the social, economic, and political impacts of foodborne illnesses in the US, it becomes almost effortless to realize how sustained research is essential to individuals. As consumers, awareness and proactivity regarding our food sources is equally essential, and being armed with information is critical. Here at MakeFoodSafe, we will keep you informed of relevant research in food safety for your and your family’s protection.